Leverage means for uncoupling devices



March` 24, 1925. 1,530,739

T. N. RUSSELL LEVERAGE MEANS FOR UNCGUISLING DEVICES Fim-sen. 1o, 192sPatented Mar. 24, 1925.

narran STATES THOMAS N. RUSSELL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

LEVERAGE MEANS 'FOR UNCOTJ'FLING- DEVICES.

Application led September 10, 1923. -Serial-iNo. 661,823.,l

To all whom tina/y concern:

lie Vit known that I, THOMAS N. RUSSELL, a citizen of the United Statesof America, and a resident of Chicago, county of Cook, and State ofIllinois, haveinvented a new and useful improvement in Leverage Meansfor Uncoupling Devices, ofwhich the following is a specification. ,Y

rlhis invention relates to means for uncoupling railway cars and moreespecially to leverage devices for lifting the knuckle locks of ordinarycouplings. Heretofore various forms of simple leverage and crank deviceshave been used, which devices are sufficient within the customary rangeof weights, but-there lis a growing tendency to increase the size andweight of nearly all railway accessories including couplingdevices,

and this necessitates the employmentv of ar more powerful lock liftingdevice. Such an appliance must be 'adapted for ready operation with theheaviest couplers in use, at

anytime, and by'one man alone.V This is the need which is met by thedevice herein set forth and claimed.

VThe main objects of the invention are to provide an uncoupling deviceto operate heavier knuckle locks than the prior devices are adapted for;toprovide a knuckle lock lifting leverage device having powermultiplying means adequate to meet the needs in a wide range 'ofservice; to provide `for compounding the liftlever in a manner adaptedto retain approximately the old arrangement and position of coupling,main fulcrum and handle, -and also retain substantially the same oldmode of manual operation; to provide a simpleV and unitary pluri-fulcrumplate or bracket for securing to the end of the cartov support theleverage members;`

and to provide such ay device of few and easily made parts adapted 'forready installation onany cars-'of the general style to which suchdevices are applied.

An illustrative embodiment of thisl invention is showin in theaccompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is Va fragmentary plan view of a car end showing aicoupler andalso the uncoupling device to which this invention relates. p

Fig. 2 is a fragmentaryend View of the upper lower part of the ca r bodyshowing in front elevation the device herein referred to.

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of theV lever supporting lbracket andadjacent lever ends but with the cover plate removed;

Fig. l is a section on the line .1l-Lt of Fig. 3f

IFig. 5 is ak section on the line 5-75 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 6 is a conventional diagram illustrating a modified constructionand arrangement of the bracket and lever members.

VVIn the construction shown in the drawings, the car l andcouplingvdevice 2, including theknucklelock 3, are shown substantiallyin accordance with the present usual construction. 1

The principal member of the uncoupler or lockli'fting means here shownis the leverage means L -5 in the form of a compound lever fulcrumed at6 and 7 on a common bracket 8 which serves also as a connector to holdthe two simple leve-rs 4t and 5in effective relation to each other. 8 islocated in substantially the usual pivot bracket position on the carend, and is bolted to the end sill of the floor frame, as indicated atthe points 9. The upwardly facing fulcrum` 7 forthe primary lever 5 islocated near the lower right hand corner of bracket Sand the downwardlyfacing fulcrum 6 for the secondary lever 4 is near 'the left handcorner. Fulcrum 6 is spacedapart vertically from fulcrum Tsufiicientlyto receive between them the overlapping arms oflevers e and 5,thefformer over thelatter, as well shown in Fig. 3.

The lever 5 is of the so-called first kind, the fulcrum 7 being betweenfthe load point 3 and the power point l0. The lever 4 is of the secondkind, the load point 1l being between `the fulcrum 6 and thepowerpointer handlel 12. The multiplying power of the compoundingfeature isdependent on the relative spacing ofthe fulcrum points 6 andThe bracket 8 may well be in the form of i a casting and comprises anoutstanding body part, and cover or face plate 13 removably secured bythe fasteners 14., Said body` part Said bracket oo'Y Y has a verticalfront face provided with a described `comprising pair of verticallyspaced horizontal ribsr or spacer members 15 and 16, with a widehorizont-al aperture 17 between for the overlapped ends ot levers e andEach rib -is thickened inedially to provide Yfor the said :tulcruinsrespectively which are termed integrally therewith. Eaclipart 15 and 16is formed and adapted to serve as a stop to limit the swing of the'lever eleinents,;as vby stop contact at the points 15, 15,.16, and 16".15a. Each fulcruni part extends through a hole l13 inthe plate 13 andthe Cotter keys la i'it inlholes thereforin the lulcrum tips as will beunderstood. y

The aperture 17 is formed to permitiliniited vert-ical oscillationofsaid levers e' and 5 but Y'is formed to prevent lateral movement or theformer lever, though the V"latter is permitted appreciable side play, asshown at 17', suf'ticient to accommodate normal car and couplermovements, by reason of the flare ent-ending horizontallyl in bothdirections from 'fulcruni '7, as shown by Fig. 5. The power end-10 or".the operating lever 5 is made with a. wide bearing by `bending the tiptransversely` so as Vto accommodate the lateral swing oflever 5 withoutdisengaging the handle lever 4. The levers l and 5 are notched at Il andto receive their corresponding ulcrums, and these prevent endwisemovement of the levers.

In order to remove either or both of the bars l and 5 the pint-les 1&1are withdrawn. This releases the 5face plate or cover 13 whichymay'then'be slid oli from the ulcrum tips, thus freeing .the levers 4and 5 which may then be removed sidewise.

Referrino' to the modifica-tion shown yby Fig. 6, 4it will be seen thatthe leverage means may be compounded somewhat. dilterently. Here theprimary lever oroperat-ing lever 18 is of the third kind, thel powerpoint 19 being between the iiulcruni 20 and` the load or knuckle lock 3.and 'the secondary Ilever 21 is of the hrst kind, the u'lcruni 22 beingbetween the power point or handle 23 and the load point 24.y lTheoperating lever 18 is above the other, but the power is multiplied vinsubstantially the sainemenner as in Fig. 2.,

' Although only twol specific embodiments of this invention areheroinsliown and scribed, it is to be understood that no at-l tempt hasbeen Vmade to show all 4practi cal lforms of embodiment and that some ofthe details of the-constructions sho-wn may be alteren or omittedwithout'departing from the spirit el this invention as defined by theiollowing claims.

l claim: n i

1. An uncoupling device of the character in combination a powerVifnultiplying compound lever and The upper partisfolosed on the end-atmemes bracket therefor having two ulcruins spaced ap art diagonally in avertical plane, said lever including one component lever of the lirstkind to engage the knuckle lock and another component Vlever `of the'second lind provided witli' a handle for manual operation, saidcomponent 'levers being mutually overlapped -at said bracket betweensaid fulc-rums, and the second mentioned component vlever beingdisposedrover the other.

power multiplying compound lever and a bracket therefor having twofulcrums'spac-ed apart diagonally in a vertical plane, said compoundlever including a pair of simple levers disposedin opposite directionsfrom said lbracket where they *overlap for mutual reaction, onedirect-ly over the other, one being ffulcrumed to operate as a lever ofthe 'lirst hind and the other ibeing 'l'ulci-umed to operateas a lever`of anotherliind.

fl. An micoupling device ofthe character described comprising incombination a power multiplying 'compound (lever and ha. bracketthereforhaving two fulcrums spaced apart diagonally ina vertical plane,saiid compound lever including a -pair'fo simple levers disposed yinopposite ydirections jfrom i aid bracket where they overlap for mutualreaction, one over the other, one being fulcrumed to operate as a :leverof the 'iii-st kind and the other Abeing ulcrumed to operate as a leverof anotherlind, and said ulcrums being disposed'the upper to the leftand the 'low-er to the ri'ghtfas normally viewed.

5. A n uncoupling device ofthe-character described comprisingincombination a compound lever ankd a bracket therefor hav-ing twoulcrums spaced apart diagonally in a vertical plane, .sa-id compound-lever including a pair of simple levers disposed 5to fextendin oppositedirect-ions from said bracket where they overlap for mutual reaction,oneover the other, 4one of said simple levers having a handle arm vand Itheother having an Voperating arm, said bracket being formed to limit sideplay for the former lever and being dared horizontally' from the fulcrumof ythe latter lever -to Aaccommodate normal car and cou )ler movementswithout binding the operating lever.

6. An un'cou-pliug device ofthe character described comprising incombination avcomare notched on appropriate edges respecpound lever anda bracket-likel `member tively to receive seid fulorums, Whereb 10 Whichis apertured to receive the o-verlaipendvvise movement of said elementsnorma ping ends of the lever elements, which elelyis positivelyprevented.

Y ments extend .oppositely each in appro-'Xi- Signed at Chicago this 7thday of Sep-r niately L horizontal position, Said member Vtelnber 1923.having transversely disposed fulcrums for Vsaid elements respectively,which elements i NQ RUSSELL.

